I've been through all too many pairs of Timberland daily wear/hiking boots and sent most of them back for replacement. The cloth inside behind my heel seems to wear through every time. Maybe it's an issue with how they fit?<br><br>I also had a pair of Vasque Clarion GTX for about 6 months before trading those in for some Zamberlan 631 Civetta GT RR boots. The Zamberlans (also Italian) have lasted the longest so far, (about 2 years) and I wear mine almost every day. Too bad they're getting that mildew smell now. Febreeze hasn't helped, anyone have any ideas?<br><br>As I said, I'm pretty happy with the Zamberlan Gore-Tex boots, but I do notice they don't breathe as well as others. I'm sure that contributes to the mildew problem. Is that the main concern with Leather/GoreTex? (other than price)